Vanilla Sparkle Cake for a Fairy Party

Do you believe in magic? In fairies? I do. It’s important to me to believe there are mysterious magical forces out in the world that are guiding us along and making life better. I think fairy dust comes in all forms, from a bright pink sparkly lipgloss to a bouquet of fresh flowers to curling up on the sofa with a good book to dreams coming true just when they need to. Anyone can be a fairy and spread a little fairy dust through good and simple deeds that go a long way in making the world a better place.

My favorite fairy is Tinker Bell.Luckily, she is the star of an all-new Disney movie, The Pirate Fairy. This comes from the world of Peter Pan and pairs Tinker Bell up with some of her fairy friends and Crocky, who may be the cutest crocodile ever! Check out the Disney Fairies Facebook page for more information.In order to prepare for the Blu-ray™ and Digital HD release on April 1st, I am throwing a Fairy Party.

I might not have any kids, but I am truly a kid at heart and loved baking up some fun, sprinkle filled treats to celebrate fairies. At the center of this party is the Vanilla Sparkle Cake.It begins with a fluffy, yet buttery vanilla cake with lots of vanilla bean flecks. I filled one of the layers with strawberry preserves for a pop of color and flavor, while the other layers and the outside of the cake are coated in my favorite Italian meringue buttercream. Of course, the real star of this cake is the sparkle sugar I added as a crown. Not only is this sugar tons of fun, I also love the pleasant crunch it adds.

Just like fairies need help from their friends, this cake needed a little help to make a complete, fun dessert table. I took some store bought sugar cookie dough and topped the cookies with different flavors and colors of frosting and, of course, more sprinkles! Plus, there’s a big bowl of Puppy Chow, because no party is complete without Puppy Chow. It is also gluten free in case of any dietary restrictions.

A few more sprinkles and a little fairy floss, aka cotton candy, and the dessert table was complete, ready for a bunch of fairy loving kids to devour it! Or in my case, my parents and me 🙂 I say the next party you’re throwing for the little fairy fan in your life needs to include these fun treats and The Pirate Fairy!

Make the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 9-inch round baking pans, line the bottom only with parchment, butter the parchment, and flour the entire pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and shortening using a hand or stand mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add sugar one cup at a time, while continuing to beat on medium speed, making sure each cup of sugar is incorporated before adding another. Add eggs one at a time while mixing on medium speed, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding another.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour, with the mixer running on low. Mix in vanilla bean paste. Stir the batter once by hand to make sure all ingredients are fully combined.

Divide batter equally among pans and bake 35-45 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Cool cakes in pans for about 10 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cake may be made 1 day ahead of time.

Make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once this happens, stop stirring, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and allow the mixture to come to 240 degrees F on the thermometer. In the meantime, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until foamy. Once foamy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Be sure not to over whip the egg whites or they will become dry.

Once the eggs are whipped and the syrup is at 240, turn the eggs to medium-low, immediately remove the syrup from the heat, and begin slowly and steadily drizzling it into the eggs. If the syrup is ready before the eggs, it can be turned down or removed from the heat while the eggs finish, before being replaced on the heat to bring to temperature. If the eggs are ready before the syrup, stop mixing them until the syrup is almost ready. Turn them back to medium-high briefly before turning them back down and adding the syrup.

Once the syrup has all been added, turn the mixer back to medium-high and beat the frosting (what is basically marshmallow crème and is delectable all by itself) for 10-13 minutes until the bottom of the bowl is barely warm or at room temperature. It is important for it to not be too warm or the next step will not work.

Once cooled, add the butter a couple tablespoons at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding another. Scrape down the bowl occasionally. Once all the butter is incorporated, add the vanilla bean paste and mix to combine. Remove the bowl from the mixer and mix briefly by hand to make sure there are no clumps of butter. If the frosting is a bit soupy (because it was too warm when the butter was added) stick it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, beat it again with the stand mixer. It should come together.

Assemble the cake. Place one cake on a cake plate. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally. Place the top half on a plate or back in the pan. Leave the bottom half on the cake stand and cover with frosting. Place the top half of the cake on top, and cover with jam. Cut the other cake and place half on top of the jam; cover with frosting. Place the final layer of cake. Cover the entire cake with frosting, including the sides. Once frosted, gently sprinkle with sprinkles and serve. May be stored at room temperature for up to 2 hours. May be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days or frozen in pieces, wrapped in plastic and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours.

This post made me smile so much!! I loved believing in fairies and princesses when I was a little girl and CANNOT WAIT (well, okay… I can wait a little bit, haha!) to have a little girl of my own and throw her princess parties 🙂 This cake looks perfect for those little girls with big imaginations!

Laura, Thanks for sending over some generous slices of this delicious cake! It tastes as good as it looks – which is amazing since it looks so beautiful! We sent some of the cake to Bill’s office and it was a big hit! One person even said it was the best cake she ever had!